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Difficulty: Moderate

Two days

$345 for two 68-inch runs

Step 3: Align the Template to Form the Balusters

Use a miter saw to cut your baluster blanks several inches longer than their final height. (Building code typically requires a finished railing height of 36 inches, so subtract from that figure the thickness of the rails and the space beneath the bottom rail.) Secure the jig to your work surface. Place the first baluster blank in the jig, and lay the template over it, snug between the alignment stops. Use a drill/driver with a combination countersink bit to bore ⅛-inch pilot holes through the template and into the baluster blank and the cleats on all sides. Screw the template down tight over the blank and cleats, as shown.